Winter Break
by FlowerPetal
Summary: Winter Break is a time for fun. Well, it's supposed to be anyway. After one of the four is in a car accident, the vacation is anything but!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to leave reviews, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Chapter One

Marissa Cooper looked outside her bedroom window in sunny Newport, California. She was thinking about her life. Her mom. Her dad. Summer. Ryan. Even annoying Seth Cohen. It was winter break, and she was all alone. She didn't have to have been alone, but she was. Seth and her best friend Summer drove over to Colorado for a week of skiing. Ryan, her on and off again boyfriend, had flown to New York with Seth's dad, Sandy. Her dad was off at sea, and her mom? Who knew where Julie Cooper was at. Probably getting a manicure or the like.

She didn't want to alone. Whenever she was, that night haunted her. The night that changed her life forever. The night when her shaking hand was aimed at Trey, Ryan's brother, who was strangling him to death. Marissa couldn't let her boyfriend die. She couldn't. She pulled the trigger, and Trey was dead. Marissa couldn't live it down no matter how hard she tried.

Right now Marissa wanted to be with Summer more than anything. Summer invited Marissa to go to Colorado with her, but she declined. Come to think of it, she didn't know why she turned down the offer. She wanted the change of climate. She wanted that crisp, howling wind blowing through her sun-streaked hair. She wanted to build a snowman. Marissa never really saw snow. That's what happens when you live in California.

Marissa decided to call Summer. Just hearing her voice would push all her bad thoughts away. _Ring ring ring_. No answer. _Ring ring ring_. "Come on, Sum," Marissa thought. Another set of rings. "Pick up!" she almost screamed. Only the pre-recorded voicemail message played. _You have called Miss Summer Roberts. I am too busy to come to the phone right now. Leave a message, mwah!" _

"Ugg!" Marissa sighed. _"Where the heck are you Summer?"_ she thought.

All of the sudden her cell phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Marissa?"

She couldn't tell who it was. She knew for a fact that it was a guy.

"Ryan?"

"No. It's Seth."

Seth was crying, Marissa sensed it.

"What's wrong?"

"Marissa! Summer, Summer and I, me and Summer, we---!"

Marissa couldn't take it.

"Cohen! Calm down, what's wrong!"

Seth tried to calm down.

"Summer and I got into a car accident. She's NOT okay!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Marissa screamed. "What?"

"The car slid in a patch of ice and we crashed."

Marissa was frantic. She didn't know what to say.

"Get help Seth!"

"Okay. Try your best to get here, Coop. She needs you!"

They both hung up.

Normally Marissa would've yelled at Seth for calling her Coop. Only Summer could call her that. But right now, she just didn't care.

Marissa starting grabbing things from left and right and threw them into her pink Juicy Couture suitcase. She didn't know any words to describe how she felt. All Marissa knew was that she had to be there for Summer, no matter what. Her best friend could be seriously injured. She grabbed the car keys and raced off toward the airport, crying uncontrollably. No matter what, she'd make it to Denver-- very soon!

Summer was in so much pain. Words couldn't describe the pain she was going through. She didn't even know what was going on. Summer knew Seth was carrying her, but she wasn't sure quite why. Things were slowly coming back to her, but not fast enough. She needed answers.

"Seth?" Summer spoke softly.

"Summer? Are you okay?"

"No, Cohen! I'm in SO much pain!"

"Do you have a clue about what happened?"

"Nada."

Seth gave her a quick recount on the hour's events. Slowly Summer was remembering. Not all at once, but slowly.

"My leg is killing me!"

"I'm trying to get you to a hospital, but I don't know where to find one!"

"I want Marissa."

"I called her, and she said she'd be here when she could."

"Just help me, Cohen!"

Ryan was in New York, unaware of what was going on. He was sitting with Sandy at a restaurant. He wanted to talk to Marissa more than anything. Or even Seth. Seth would do, he decided. But so far winter break was extremely boring. Right now all Ryan wanted was someone his own age he could hang out with. Ryan's cell phone rang. "Yes!" he thought silently. It was Marissa.

"Ryan? Are you there?"

"Yea. Am I ever glad to hear you!"

"Look, Summer got in a car accident in Denver with Seth. I heading to Colorado right now."

Ryan was just thinking about how Seth could possibly manage, when he realized Marissa was waiting for him to say something.

"Is she ok?"

"I don't know! I tried reaching Seth again, but he turned his phone off."

"Sandy and I will meet you there."

Ryan hung up.

He turned to Sandy.

"We're needed in Denver."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Summer was moaning for the millionth time. Try billionth. Her leg was killing her. Luckily, Cohen had gotten help, and she was in the hospital. She wanted to kill Seth. After all, it had taken him 3 hours to help her! She wanted to tell him that she'd kick his butt once she was stable, but she didn't have the strength. Right now she wanted Marissa with her.

This is not how she had pictured her vacation. She had envisioned that for once her and Seth wouldn't fight. They would ski together non-stop. They would sit by the fire, roasting marshmallows. It would be the perfect vacation. So much for that.

"Thanks," Summer managed to tell Seth.

"I'm just glad you're alright," Seth told her.

"Do you think I'm okay? No, I'm not."

Seth looked startled.

Summer realized that she accidentally might have come down too hard on him.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in so much pain!" Summer cried.

Knock, knock.

Summer turned toward the door. The doctor came to tell her the results.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're leg is seriously injured. You'll probably need surgery. Immediately.

Summer sobbed some more. Normally she would tell him off and explain that she would be fine and she didn't care what he said. She was too weak to argue. Summer just had to sadly accept the truth.

Her vacation was going to suck.

Marissa was on her way to the hospital after the long flight. That flight had been a disaster.

The ticket woman wouldn't give her a ticket unless she was 18.

Then after Marissa made a big charade that she was 18, the flight was delayed for an hour.

Then her luggage was stolen.

Then she was too busy in the bathroom, that she almost missed her flight.

Hopefully her bad luck would end right there.

Ryan and Sandy were at the New York airport, waiting to board their flight. Ryan couldn't stop thinking about how Summer was doing. She was his friend, sort of. His girlfriend's best friend, so he guessed that counted. He couldn't imagine how much pain she was in. He was thinking about how Seth was coping. How Marissa was managing. After all, it's not like every day you're best friend is in a car accident.

Sandy had been able to get a direct flight to Denver, and luckily the flight was on time. They boarded the plane, and were off to see Summer.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A few hours later, Ryan and Sandy had arrived. Summer was currently in surgery, and would be for the next hour.

Ryan and Seth went down to the hospital gift shop to buy Summer something. Unfortunatley, nothing at the shop would ever meet Summer's standerds. There was no Prada, or Marc Jacobs, or Chanel. What would Summer like? That's what Seth was wondering as he paced around Ryan. Ryan broke the silence.

"How about some magazines?"

"Summer? Reading? You've got to be kidding me."

"Ok. How about perfume?"

"If it's not brand name, she won't wear it."

Ryan was getting agiated by Seth's responses.

"How about candy? Girls love chocolate."

"Summer refuses to eat anything with too much sugar or carbs."

Ryan was beyond mad.

"How about it's the thought that counts?"

"It's Summer though. It has to be the perfect gift."

Ryan just shook his head.

Just then, one of the employees pushed in a fresh cart of roses.

"How about some roses?"

"Now where would I find those?"

Then Seth turned around.

"You're a genius, Ryan! No wonder you get all A's!"

Seth ran up to the cart and bought two dozen roses.

"She's gonna love me!"

As the boys were downstairs, Marissa was waiting for the surgery to be over with. She couldn't imagine Summer's pain. And she thought her life was bad! Even though Julie Cooper was her mom, at least Marissa didn't have any life-threatening things in her life. Summer wouldn't be able to do...She couldn't do anything!

ONE HOUR LATER...

Summer had finally woken up. She didn't know where she was, but slowly it was coming back to her. Marissa was there. Chino and Cohen were staring at her. Suddenly it occured to her. She was just in surgery. The pain was soaring by the second. She looked around, at all the people who care for her. It occured to her, that for the next few months, her life wouldn't be the same.

Would it ever be?


End file.
